The former Whites star has struggled away from Elland Road but could make a dramatic return this summer
Leeds United have been told to ‘take back’ former midfielder Kalvin Phillips in this summer’s transfer window after his failed move to Manchester City two years ago.
The England international was a Leeds academy graduate and captained both the Under-18s and Under-21s before breaking into the senior squad in April 2015 as a 19-year-old. After that, he was a regular starter under managers Garry Monk and Marcelo Bielsa and helped guide the club back to the Premier League for the first time since 2004 in their Championship-winning season back in 2020.
His two seasons in the top flight with the Whites cemented his space as one of England’s best young midfielders and helped him get into Gareth Southgate’s England setup which he was part of for the nation’s run to the final of Euro 2020 and their run to the quarter-final of the 2022 World Cup.
Following an escape from relegation under Jesse Marsch, Phillips was sold to Man City for an initial fee of £42m, which could have risen to £45m, on a mega six-year deal. However, he failed to breakthrough into the first team under Pep Guardiola and was eventually cast aside by the Citizens boss after he called him ‘overweight’ in a press conference following the World Cup.
Although he eventually apologised for his comments, Guardiola still admitted he didn’t see a place for Phillips at the club and secured him a loan move to West Ham in January earlier this year having made just six starts for City over his first two years with the club. Now though, reigning PDC Darts World Champion and big Leeds supporter Luke Humphries has admitted he’d take the star back in a heartbeat.
Speaking to Footy Accumulators, Humphries highlighted the star’s tough time at Man City but acknowledged that coming back to Leeds probably wasn’t the best career choice for the 28-year-old as he claimed: “Yes, I think I would take him back, although I don’t think he would come back now, because I don’t think that Championship football is where his game deserves to be.
“I didn’t feel bitter about him leaving at all, because I feel like he was such a great player that he deserved the move he got. The only gutting thing I think for him was that he didn’t really get a chance, but it’s tough to displace Rodri isn’t it? He’s never going to displace him. Maybe he deserved a chance, but more for his confidence to be honest.
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